Closed In the Dead of the Night[Snaeha]

[Aranta]

Aranta hummed thoughtfully at Snaeha's explanation of love-- apparently it was an emotion, one related to those closest to oneself. "Mates are extremely protective of each other, and of their young," he said aloud. "I suppose that is how Zith show their... love. But we have no word for it." He didn't comment on the rest of her explanation, on how when you were in love with someone, you wanted to spend all of your time with them-- because, frankly, that sounded just a little too close to what Aranta felt for Snaeha to be comfortable. Aranta gazed down into the abyss for a moment before looking back up to Snaeha. "Would you like to find out?" he offered. "I have excellent vision in the dark..."

[Snaeha Datura]

Cool relief washed over Snaeha when the Zith admitted that 'love' was simialr to the bond between mates. That was good, that meant if things developed between the two of them, her feelings would be reciprocated.

Am I already expecting to fall in love with him? The question racketeered around Snaeha's mind, so much so that she had not yet reacted to Aranta's query. "Oh... urm..." She muddled over the possibility. It would be interesting to know what was down there, but what if the stories of her childhood were true?

Oh, now she was just being silly.

Nevertheless, Snaeha shrugged her shoulders in a polite declination of the offer. "Maybe not..." She chuckled nervously, brushing her hair as if to dismiss her own vivid imagination. A change of topic was needed, to break up the tension and her own nerves about those constant, ripping screams. "How is the reading?" It had been a while since their last lesson, but Snaeha hoped that her friend was progressing well.

.

[Aranta]

Aranta didn't pretend to be slightly disappointed by Snaeha's lack of interest in exploring, but he could not blame the Symenestra for her caution. So instead, he turned and started walking, hoping that the screams would fade behind in their wake-- they were just as unnerving to him as they were to Snaeha. In answer to her question about reading, the Zith remarked, "It is going slow. Much harder to read and get things right without someone there to correct me if I get them wrong." As they walked, Aranta took some pleasure from the way Snaeha's arm brushed occasionally against his wing; as always, Aranta wore little in the way of clothing-- less, even, when he slept, as he had been before the screams woke him up. He'd barely had the presence of mind to slip on the cloth belt that covered his groin, much less any other clothing. As such, when he'd left the Opsum House, he'd automatically wrapped his wings around himself, removing them only when he needed to use his hands. Even the slight pressure of Snaeha's arm brushing the outside of his wings was incredibly delightful; Zith wings were sensitive. More so on the inside than the outside, but it was still a good sensation.

[Snaeha Datura]

She flashed her friend a playful grin, "you miss me bossing you around?" It made her glad, and for once Snaeha did not care to try and conceal this fact. Their relationship had gone far beyond subtlety, and should it develop further there would be no room for embarrassment or shyness.

Kalinor was always a quiet city, but - ignoring those screams - it seemed even more still and silent at night. It was exciting, almost arousing, for Snaeha to be out at night when she knew of her kind slept in the safety of their homes. There was nowhere for them to go, but walking around Kalinor at night was perfectly interesting enough for the redhead. With each empty silken street, the emptiness of the city became all the more apparent, the silence more palpable. Those screams, which had terrified Snaeha earlier, seemed less intimidating with the Zith beside her.

"Nobodies around." She confirmed aloud, to herself as much as to Aranta. Yes, it was a stirring thought to imagine what the two could get up to in the middle of the underground city. "Just us two-" Snaeha had not realised that her left hand, the one closest to him, was tracing delicately up and down his wing, her touch soft but most definitely there. "-all alone."

Stop it, otherwise you'll pounce on him like some wild animal! The likelihood of Snaeha listening to this responsible voice in her mind was highly unlikely.

.

[Aranta]

OOCOoh, things are heading towards a steamy route... Unless one of them chickens out. Aranta snorted out a laugh, shaking his head slightly and giving Snaeha a fond look. "No, I said I miss having someone to show me to the right way to do it," he corrected, his voice teasing. "I didn't say that I missed you specifically." That was a lie; Aranta had missed Snaeha, and to show it he gently bumped her shoulder with his wing, giving her a small, almost shy, smile. In the silence of the night, Aranta could hear Snaeha's heartbeat with astouding clarity, and right no it was doing an odd dance in her chest and his ears. It made his own respond in kind, and he couldn't help moving himself a little closer to the Symenestra so that her touch was more firm against his wing. Her words seemed to carry more meaning now, when she mentioned the two of them together, and with their recent discussion in mind, Aranta could not help but wonder just what was going through his companion's head. "It appears so," he settled on replying with. OOCOmg Snaeha's last words reminded me of the first episode of Nine, where Rose's mom is in her room in her dressing robe and Nine's just hanging out in the doorway. XD

[Snaeha Datura]

Snaeha pouted in a sadness that was (mostly) false. She huffed and folded her arms, now frowning. "Well, how rude! In that case, I won't teach you one more thing." After a tick of pretend moodiness, the redhead found herself smiling warmly in response to his own grin. It was a relief, being with him once again in a relaxed and cool setting. She had feared their friendship would spoil and grow awkward since the kiss, but even considering their earlier conversation, this thankfully did not seem the case.

She felt, and appreciated, his closeness, now even warmer and nearer to her than before. Snaeha reciprocated by stepping towards him, closing the last few inches of the gap between her arm and his wing. She found herself licking her lips, almost nervous at the proposition that was melting on the tip of her tongue. "I... would like to kiss you again." Her amethyst eyes dash towards him for a single tick, before snapping forwards once again shyly. "And maybe more." A hand snaked up to push a flash of red hair out of her face. It was strange, suggesting the idea of intimacy like this, but nothing about their relationship was usual. She stopped suddenly, head tilted at a slight. "Would you like that?"

.

[Aranta]

Aranta hesitated before he replied to Snaeha's question. "I... would," he said slowly, "but as I said-- Zith don't court in the same way that Symenestra do, and Zith do not do... 'more' unless it is with the person they intend to mate." Once again, the male hesitated, torn between asking if Snaeha wanted to mate with Aranta, and not asking for fear of the answer. In the end, he decided that he had nothing to lose-- except Snaeha's friendship, but that was no certainty. "Do you want to mate with me, Snaeha?"

[Snaeha Datura]

The proposition rattled around Snaeha's mind for a chime. She licked her lips, already knowing her answer, but needing to muster up the courage to finally admit it. Another scream tore through the silence, and made Snaeha glance down into the gloominess below one final time. Then she nodded curtly. "Yes. I would."

She nibbled at her bottom lip, brow furrowed in a slight frown. The tension between them was coming to a climax, and Snaeha could feel the hotness of lust burning within her. She swallowed, cautious of the venom that had started to dispense from her fangs. Her body was finally responding to the urges she was feeling, and with a final, swift movement, Snaeha carried herself closer to Aranta, closer than they had ever been before. "Very much so." Her voice was low, full of desire and heat. Her body was pushed against his, and with the tiniest murmur Snaeha delighted in the warmth between them.

.

[Aranta]

Aranta, who had been holding his breath while waiting for Snaeha's answer, let it out in a soft sigh. When the Symenestra stepped closer to him, Aranta let his wings fall to the side slightly, letting her step into his body as he brought his hands up to settle on her upper shoulders. "I am glad," he murmured, letting his head fall forward until his forehead was resting against Snaeha's. The Zith let his hands trail from Sneaha's upper arms over her shoulders to finally settle cupping her neck, his thumb stroking the skin behind her ear. This time, it was Aranta who initiated the kiss; he moved slowly, still a bit hesitantly, unable to fully believe that Snaeha truly meant her words, despite the way her heartbeat remained steady. He still wasn't quite sure what the proper actions for a kiss were, so he settled for letting his lips settle over Snaeha's, not firmly enough to inhibit breathing, but enough that there was most definitely contact and his intent could not be misinterpreted.

[Snaeha Datura]

Snaeha smiled, also allowing a thin breath of air to escape her lips. It was a relief, to get those frustrating words out of the way. They had both admitted what they wanted, and now their cards had been played. Should their relationship deteriorate now, it would not be through lack of trying or cowardice. It was reassuring, in a way.

His kiss was met with a smile, which Snaeha soon concealed to return the embrace. The Zith was obviously still unsure about kissing, but Snaeha was more than happy to take the lead. Her body responded naturally, smoothly; her hands landed somewhere on his chest and her breath quickened, excited. A small noise, something very similar to a moan, rumbled in her throat and soon enough Snaeha found herself pushing herself into Aranta longingly. She paused, leaning her head away to discuss practicalities. "We should... go somewhere."

She was so caught up in their newfound scenario that Snaeha barely heard the endless screams.

.